It has long been reported that Jon Bon Jovi discovered the band Cinderella. But that band’s singer, Tom Keifer, says it was Gene Simmons who got to them first.
Keifer tells Big Music Geek, “Gene Simmons was actually the guy who first took an interest in the band. His interest did not lead to a deal for one reason or another… He told his A&R [artist and repertoire] guy [at Polygram Records], ‘You’ve got to go down and see them.’ He came down and he still wasn’t convinced. He wanted to hear more material and signed us to a six-month development deal. We finally won him over and he signed us to a full deal, but that was a bit of a process too. I’m grateful to both Gene and Jon for the interest they took in the band.”
The one band Gene really wanted to work with was Van Halen. But after producing their demo, KISS manager Bill Aucoin felt their material wasn’t strong enough.